Spurs notebook: Joseph, De Colo know roles

Published 9:38 pm, Saturday, March 23, 2013

Photo: Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News

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Spurs guard Cory Joseph looks for room around Utah's Mo Williams during Friday night's 104-97 overtime win at the AT&T Center. Joseph returned to a backup role with Tony Parker's return to the starting lineup.

Spurs guard Cory Joseph looks for room around Utah's Mo Williams during Friday night's 104-97 overtime win at the AT&T Center. Joseph returned to a backup role with Tony Parker's return to the starting lineup.

When it became apparent Tony Parker's sprained left ankle was sufficiently healed to allow the All-Star to resume starting point guard duties Friday against Utah, Joseph was not surprised to be heading back to the bench.

“You knew it was coming,” said Joseph, a second-year pro out of Texas who was 6-2 as Parker's replacement. “Nobody wants to go to the bench, but it's Tony Parker.”

Called up from the Development League not long before Parker went down, Joseph's solid relief effort helped earn a spot in coach Gregg Popovich's bench rotation.

When Parker returned to lead a 104-97 overtime win over the Jazz, Joseph and rookie Nando De Colo absorbed the backup minutes at point guard.

Pleased with the experience each young guard has gained, Popovich is likely to use the same substitution pattern Sunday night in Houston.

“He pushed the cake in my face,” Jackson said, laughing. “It should have been his face.”

Jackson, who played for NBA all-time wins leader Don Nelson in Golden State in 2010, said he was also proud to be part of Popovich's feat.

“Hopefully we can win more games for him,” Jackson said.

Twin towers of support: Reporters have grown accustomed to seeing Manu Ginobili's nearly 3-year-old twin sons, Dante and Nicola, sprinting around the locker room after games while their father finishes media duties.

On Friday night, as Ginobili concluded what amounted to a public apology for a defensive error that helped send the game to OT, one of the twins played peek-a-boo with his father while sitting in an adjacent stall.

Ginobili said having the twins to remind him what is truly important helps in all situations.

“Listen, we won,” Ginobili said, “but when you don't do good and your head (is messed up), you're tired and stuff, having those two around really makes a lot of difference.”